Golf putter and method of putting

ABSTRACT

A method of putting a golf ball includes a golfer standing erect with the head up and the body facing the hole. The golf ball is positioned to the side of the golfer on his dominant side. A uniquely designed putter is grasped in the dominant hand with the grip of the putter extending upwardly along and against the dominant arm to a position above the elbow. The upper portion of the grip and the dominant arm are grasped firmly with the non-dominant hand to provide stability and the dominant arm and club are swung smoothly in a pendulum-like motion from the shoulder of the dominant arm. The result is a smooth consistent putting swing wherein the effects of flexing elbows and twisting wrists are eliminated and, ultimately, a better putting game and lower golf score. The invention also includes an unique putter for carrying out the inventive putting technique.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates generally to the game of golf and more particularly to putting.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Golf is a challenging endeavor requiring extreme physical discipline and countless hours of practice to establish and maintain proper form throughout the golf swing. Proper form is perhaps no more important than when putting a golf ball on the green. It is widely held that a consistent and accurate putting style requires a smooth pendulum-like swing of the putter. Historically this is accomplished by addressing the golf ball with the shoulders aligned generally with the hole, gripping the putter handle firmly, locking the arms so that they do not flex at the elbow during the swing, and swinging the club head smoothly through the ball. The goal is that the arms and the putter form a pendulum that swings smoothly from the shoulders and that flexing at the elbows and wrists not affect the smooth swing of the putter. It is also very important that the club head remains fixed square with the ball throughout the swing.

[0003] Although the mechanics of a good putting swing are well understood, putting them into practice reliably and consistently is an elusive goal among golfers. While every effort is made by golfers to keep the arms and hands rigid throughout the swing, there is virtually always some flexing at the elbows and some twisting of the wrists. Unfortunately, even the slightest amount of such flexing and twisting can affect the distance and particularly the line of the putt rather drastically so that fewer putts are sunk. As a result, golfers invest countless hours of practice to improve their putting swing and to establish the smooth pendulum-like swing discussed above. Unfortunately, while perfection can be approached in this regard, it can rarely be attained reliably and consistently.

[0004] In addition to the difficulty of establishing a good putting swing, the traditional putting stance also can affect one's putting game negatively. This is because the golfer's body faces not with the hole, which is the target of the putt, but instead faces the ball. This relationship of the body to the hole increases the difficulty of judging the distance and line to the hole because the hole is viewed with the head down and turned sideways toward the hole. This is an unnatural way for humans to judge distance and angle.

[0005] Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved putting methodology that insures a smooth pendulum-like swing virtually every time with a minimum of required practice and physical discipline. There also is a need for a putting style in which the distance and line to the hole can be judged more accurately by viewing the hole naturally with the head up, level, and facing the hole throughout the swing. It is to the provision of such a putting methodology and a unique putter for practicing the methodology that the present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Briefly described, the present invention, in a preferred embodiment thereof, is an improved method of putting a golf ball wherein the golfer addresses and faces the hole instead of the ball throughout the swing. The golf ball is positioned to the dominant side of the golfer; that is, the side corresponding to the golfer's dominant arm. The unique putter of the invention, which has a specially designed head and extra long shaft and grip, is grasped with the dominant hand at the lower portion of the grip. The upper portion of the grip extends upwardly along the dominant arm to a position above the elbow. The golfer then grasps his upper arm and the upper portion of the grip firmly with the non-dominant hand to anchor the shaft of the putter to the dominant arm above the elbow. The dominant arm and the putter shaft are thereby locked together forming a rigid pendulum that swings from the shoulder of the dominant arm. The golfer then surveys the hole to judge distance and line by facing the hole with the head up and level. In this way, the golfer's natural binocular vision results in an improved estimate of the proper distance and the proper line to the hole. The stroke is then made with the dominant arm swinging smoothly back and through to the golfer's side, similar to a bowling motion, with the non-dominant hand and arm riding along to maintain stability. The inventors have discovered that this highly unique putting method and putter results in a significant improvement of the putting game almost immediately. Further, it does not require hours of practice to master and can be used successfully by beginning golfers and pros alike to improve their putting games and reduce their scores. These and other features, objects, and advantages of the putting method and putter of this invention will become more apparent upon review of the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, which are briefly described as follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a golf putter that embodies principles of the present invention in a preferred form.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a golfer in the process of carrying out the putting method of the invention.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the face of the putter of FIG. 1 illustrating the unique method of attaching the hosel to the head.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of the head of the putter of FIG. 1.

[0011]FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the putter of FIG. 1 showing the contoured bottom and back of the head, the attachment of the hosel, and the mounting of the shaft within the hosel.

[0012]FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the hosel of the putter illustrating its angle, which provides for assembling left and right handed putters from the same components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Referring now in more detail to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a unique putter for carrying out the putting method of the invention. The putter 11 has a head 12, a hosel 13, a shaft 14, and a grip 15. The head 12, described in more detail below, is formed with a generally flat top surface 17, a contoured bottom surface 26, sides 28, a back surface 29, and a face 18. Holes are formed through the head from its face rearwardly and these holes are filled with balancing inserts 19, whose density and weight are carefully chosen to balance the head 12.

[0014] The hosel 13, through which the shaft 14 is connected to the head 12, is generally cylindrical and, as shown in FIGS. 3-6, has a depending square mounting tongue 24 that is that fits and is secured within a corresponding square hole or insert 23 formed in the top surface of the head. The hosel body is oriented relative to the mounting tongue to form an angle 21 that is at least 10 degrees, which insures the USGA minimum of 10 degrees of lie angle for a putter. The square insert 23 in the head and the corresponding square mounting tongue 24 insures precise alignment of the hosel and shaft with the head during putter assembly. Further, since the head 12 is symmetrical about its center line, left handed putters and right handed putters can be manufactured from the same components by simply orienting the hosel to angle to the right or the left as necessary. The shaft 14 is mounted within a hole 25 (FIG. 6) in the top of the hosel and extends upwardly therefrom. The grip 23 is disposed on the shaft and may be made of a rubber or other appropriate material to provide a secure friction grip for a golfer. The shaft and grip are a minimum of 18 inches long to comply with USGA regulations and, more importantly, are long enough to extend beyond the elbow of a golfer's dominant arm when at address position, as described in more detail below.

[0015]FIG. 2 illustrates the unique putting style and methodology of this invention. A golfer 31 is shown at address position on a green 39 putting a golf ball 37 toward the hole 38. The golfer 31 in this illustration is right handed such that his right arm 32 and right hand 33 are dominant and his left arm 34 and left hand 36 are non-dominant. When putting, the ball is positioned to his right side, which is his dominant side. It will be understood that the same basic technique described herein also is applicable to left handed golfers, except that, for them, the putt is made from their left side rather than from their right side. Referring still to FIG. 2, rather than addressing and facing the ball while putting, as is traditional, the golfer 31 addresses and faces the hole 38 when practicing the present putting method. The putter 11 is held with the dominant hand 33 gripping the lower portion 16 of the grip and with the upper portion 22 of the grip lying and extending along the dominant arm 32 to a position above the elbow. The non-dominant hand 36 firmly grasps the top portion 22 of the grip and the dominant arm 32 to maintain the grip of the putter firmly against the dominant arm, to provide stability during the swing, and to prevent the dominant arm from bending or twisting at the elbow. It will thus be seen that the dominant arm 32 and the putter 11 together form a rigid pendulum that swings from the shoulder of the dominant arm.

[0016] The golfer 31, when in the just described address position, aligns the head 12 of the club with the ball, which is positioned to the side of his dominant foot 20. The golfer then surveys the hole with his head up, level, and facing the hole. It has been found that when surveying the hole from this position, the golfer is able to form a more accurate mental assessment both of the distance to the hole as well as the intended line of the putt. It is believed that this results from the natural use of the golfer's binocular vision; i.e. with the head up and the eyes level, rather than the head down position of a traditional putting stance. In any event, the golfer uses the improved mental assessment of the distance and line to square the putter face with the intended line of the putt. The putter is then drawn back and swung through the ball all in a smooth pendulum-like motion. During the swing, the putter shaft and the dominant arm are rigid and monolithic resulting in an almost pure pendulum swing from a pivot point at the golfer's dominant shoulder. The non-dominant hand and arm follow along during the swing to maintain stability throughout the swing.

[0017] As a result of the just described putting technique, it has been found that the head of the putter follows a smooth arc throughout the swing. It has also been found that the head of the club stays square with the intended line of the putt throughout the entire swing, including at the moment of impact with the ball. Because of the outstanding stability of the dominant arm and club during the swing, the golfer is able to keep his eyes on the target rather than on the ball throughout the swing. In traditional putting swings, of course, the eyes are on the ball during the putt. This, in combination with the unique mechanics of the swing, has been found to enhance the accuracy of the putt even more. The ultimate result is an improved overall putting score, a consistency from putt-to-putt that heretofore has been almost unachievable, and a more enjoyable experience for the golfer.

[0018] FIGS. 3-6 illustrate in more detail a preferred embodiment of the unique putter of this invention and the unique method of its assembly. It should be understood, however, that the particular configuration shown in these figures may be modified in a variety of ways without departing from the broader invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment of the putter illustrated here is not and should not be considered to be limiting upon the inventions disclosed herein.

[0019] In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the head 12 of the putter has a face 18 with a zero degree loft and is symmetrical about a vertical center line. A pair of holes are formed in the head extending rearwardly from its face 18 to accommodate a pair of balancing inserts 19. The balancing inserts themselves can be made of metal, plastic, a composite, or any material whose density and weight are chosen for their ability to balance the club head precisely. Balancing insert technology itself is known to those of skill in the art and need not be discussed in more detail here. It also should be noted that the club might be formed with no balancing inserts at all if desired or balancing may be accomplished in any of a number of ways other than balancing inserts, as is known to those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the balancing inserts shown in the illustrated embodiment and, indeed, balancing in general, is not and should not be considered to be a limitation of the invention.

[0020] The head 12 further includes a generally flat top surface 27, a contoured bottom surface 26, sides 28, and a contoured or curved back surface 29. The hosel 13 is mounted to the top surface of the head 12 by means of a square mounting tongue 24, which is received in a corresponding square insert 23 formed in the head 12. Further, as mentioned above, the hosel 13 forms an angle 21 (FIG. 6) of at least ten degrees with respect to the square mounting tongue 24. This insures a lie angle of at least ten degrees between the head 12 and the shaft 14, which complies with USGA regulations. The square mounting tongue and insert simplifies fabrication of the putter significantly because the hosel is precisely and automatically oriented with respect to the head by simply inserting and securing the tongue within the hole. In addition, left and right hand putters may be fabricated with the same components by simply turning the hosel to the left or right as needed before securing it to the head, as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 3. The hosel 13 is formed with an shaft receiving hole 25 (FIG. 6) into which the bottom end of the shaft 14 is secured to mount to shaft to the head.

[0021] As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, the bottom surface 26 of the head is smoothly contoured both from side-to-side and front-to-back to approximate the arc of a swing relative to the playing surface. In this regard, the contoured bottom surface may be designed to be more curved for shorter players and less curved for taller players if desired. The back surface 29 of the head also is curved, primarily for reasons of aesthetics and for balance. As shown in FIG. 5, the shaft 14 of the putter extends upwardly from the hosel at a lie angle equal to the angle 21 of the hosel itself. The method of assembly of the club of this invention includes securing the hosel to the head, securing the shaft in the hosel, and providing the shaft with a grip of the proper characteristics.

[0022] The invention has been described herein in terms of preferred embodiments and methodologies. It will be understood by those of skill in the art, however, that various additions, deletions, and modifications might be made to the illustrated embodiments within the scope of the invention. For instance, the particular shapes and configurations of the putter head and hosel illustrated herein may be modified in scores of ways without exceeding the bounds of the invention or affecting the unique putting methodology of the invention. The mounting tongue of the hosel may be formed with a variety of shapes other than square such as, for example, triangular or star shaped. All such shapes provide the advantage of automatic alignment of the hosel with the head, which is an aspect of the invention. The mounting tongue might even be cylindrical and not automatically aligning where precise alignment and adjustment of the shaft and head are desired. Variations may also be made to the putting method of the invention. For instance, it may be possible to practice the invention with or without grasping the club and dominant arm with the non-dominant hand. A golfer may wish to align his body slightly to one or another side of the target rather than directly with it as shown in the preferred embodiment. The knees may be slightly bent as shown in FIG. 2 or straight as desired. Finally, it should be noted that the shape of the club head, the length and shape of the shaft and grip, the lie angle of the hosel, and any other similar parameters will comply with USGA regulations in all cases, and may be updated to reflect changes in these regulations. For instance, should the USGA change its regulations for an at least 10 degree lie angle for the hosel in the future, then the angle of the hosel of the present application will simply change to satisfy the new requirements. These and other additions, deletions, and modifications of the illustrated and preferred embodiments might well be implemented by those of skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of putting a golf ball in a target direction, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a putter with a head and a with shaft sufficiently long to extend upwardly to a location above a golfer's elbow when the head of the putter is adjacent the ground; (b) aligning the body generally with the target direction with the golf ball to the dominant side of the body; (c) locating the head of the putter to the dominant side of the body in putting relationship relative the to golf ball; (d) grasping a mid-portion of the putter shaft with the dominant hand and with the shaft extending upwardly along the dominant arm with its upper portion located above the elbow; (e) judging the intended line of the put with the head up and facing the target direction; and (f) swinging the dominant arm from the shoulder to swing the putter head through the ball.
 2. A method of putting a golf ball as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising the step of grasping the upper portion of the shaft and the dominant arm with the non-dominant hand prior to swinging to stabilize the putter and the dominant arm during the swing.
 3. A method of putting a golf ball as claimed in claim 2 and wherein the target direction is generally toward a golf hole and wherein step (b) includes aligning the body generally toward and facing the hole.
 4. A technique of putting a golf ball toward the hole comprising the steps of aligning the body in a direction generally facing the hole with the golf ball located to the dominant side of the body, standing substantially upright with the head level and facing the hole; grasping a putter in the dominant hand with the shaft of the putter extending upwardly along the dominant arm to a position above the elbow and with the head of the putter located behind the golf ball, visually judging the intended line of the put while the head is in its level and hole facing orientation, and swinging the putter through the ball in a pendulum-like motion with the dominant arm pivoting at the shoulder and with the putter shaft stabilizing the elbow to prevent flexing during the swing.
 5. A technique of putting a golf ball as claimed in claim 4 and further comprising the step of grasping the upper portion of the shaft and the dominant arm above the elbow with the non-dominant hand to stabilize the shaft and dominant arm further, the non-dominant hand following the dominant arm throughout the swing.
 6. A technique of putting a golf ball as claimed in claim and wherein the golfer's head is maintained in its level hole facing orientation throughout the swing.
 7. A golf putter comprising a head, a hosel mounted to the head and extending upwardly therefrom at a predetermined angle, and a shaft mounted in and extending upwardly from the hosel, the shaft being sufficiently long to extend upwardly to a position above a golfer's elbow when the golfer is standing upright with the putter to the side of the golfer.
 8. A golf putter as claimed in claim 7 and wherein said head has an upper surface formed with an non-circular insert and wherein said hosel is mounted to said head with a non-circular tongue that mates with and extends into said non-circular insert.
 9. A golf putter as claimed in claim 8 and wherein said non-circular insert and said non-circular tongue are symmetric about a vertical center line of said head so that said hosel and said shaft can be mounted in a first orientation to form a right handed putter and a second orientation to form a left handed putter.
 10. A golf putter as claimed in claim 9 and wherein said insert and said tongue are square in shape.
 11. A golf putter as claimed in claim 7 and wherein said predetermined angle is at least the minimum lie angle for a putter specified by USGA regulations.
 12. A golf putter as claimed in claim 11 and wherein said predetermined angle is at least ten degrees.
 13. A golf putter as claimed in claim 7 and wherein said head is symmetrical about a vertical center line and wherein said hosel is mounted to said head along said vertical centerline.
 14. A golf putter as claimed in claim 13 and further comprising balancing means in said head for precisely balancing the head.
 15. A golf putter as claimed in claim 14 and wherein said balancing means comprises a pair of spaced holes formed on either side of said head, said holes containing balancing inserts of the proper weights to balance the head along a vertical centerline thereof.
 16. A method of assembling a golf putter comprising the steps of: (a) providing a head that is symmetrical along a vertical centerline and that has an upper surface formed with a non-circular insert positioned along the centerline; (b) providing a hosel having a non-circular tongue sized and shaped to extend into and mate with the non-circular insert in the head; (c) mounting the hosel to the head by inserting its non-circular tongue into the non-circular insert of the head and with the hosel extending upwardly from the upper surface of the head at a predetermined lie angle, the non-circular insert and tongue being shaped such that mounting the hosel to the head in one orientation forms a right handed putter and mounting the hosel to the head in an opposite orientation forms a left handed putter; and (d) mounting a shaft in the free end of the hosel.
 17. The method of claim 16 and wherein the insert and tongue are square.
 18. The method of claim 16 and wherein the shaft is sufficiently long to extend upwardly along a golfer's arm to a position above the golfer's elbow when the golfer is standing upright with the putter to his side.
 19. A method of putting a golf ball comprising the steps of standing substantially upright with the body facing along the intended line of the put and with the golf ball to the side of the body, locating the head of a putter behind the golf ball and grasping a mid-portion of the shaft of the putter with one hand such that the upper portion of the shaft extends upwardly along the arm to a position above the elbow; judging the line of the putt while standing substantially upright with the head up, level, and facing the target; and swinging the arm and putter in a pendulum-like motion from the shoulder so that the head of the putter swings through the golf ball to putt the golf ball along the line of the putt.
 20. A method of putting a golf ball as claimed in claim 19 and further comprising the step of grasping the upper portion of the shaft and the arm above the elbow with the free hand to stabilize the putter shaft and arm during the putt. 